Extreme Parenting

It's true. There have been no recent blog posts here at Rolling For Trips. I admit that I have been really slacking in the writing department. Why you ask? Well, my dance card has been quite full lately. If you think my schedule has been a little hectic, then we can take a look at Carrie's schedule. We can sum that thing up in one word:

Babies.

End of Story.

If you are friends of ours, you haven't heard from us. If you are members of our family, you haven't heard from us.

If we had an old fashioned answering machine, the outgoing message would say:

"Hello. You have reached The Krug House. We are not available and we won't be for several years. You can leave a message just to humor yourself, but we won't listen to it, and if you think we are going to call you back, you have a better chance of being served an ice cold beer in hell."

This is extreme parenting. You gotta want it.

Two weeks ago, we used to brag to people how the boys slept pretty much all night.

This has changed. Take this morning for instance. We fed the boys and they went to sleep at around 10:30 P.M. We went to sleep ourselves until Cash decided that he was ready to kick start the party at 3:48 A.M. Before, the boys pretty much ignored each other. Now, they wake each other up with their howling. I imagine it goes like this.

Cash: Hey guys. I am a little bored over here and I peed my pants. So, I'm going to start yelling.

Cash proceeds to yell.

Cade: (waking up) Hey! Why are we yelling? Fine. I'm going to yell too.

Cade starts yelling.

Zane: You guys aren't to leave me out.

Zane yells.

All three babies are yelling at the top of their lungs. The baby monitor vibrates across the nightstand as Mom and Dad curse under their breath. The dog buries her head under the covers and wonders why the babies are allowed in the house.

Mom stumbles out of bed and picks up the loudest baby.

Dad puts up his best fight and lays in bed trying to ignore the chorus of baby howls coming from the nursery.

Mom brings a baby to Dad.

Mom: Hold Zane for a minute. I'm going to change Cash.

Zane is handed to Dad so that he can scream directly into Dad's ear.

Dad gives up and gets up with whomever he was handed and heads out.

This is when they get you. You may be tired. You may be annoyed. However, when that little boy looks up at you in his little pajamas and opens up his eyes as if to say:

"Hi Dad. I just wanted to hang out with you."

You can't be mad.

Sleep seems unimportant. The boys are all up. Mom is up. The dog is up. Why not have some family time? Usually we go sit on the couch and start the 6:00 A.M. feeding a bit early. Today it started at 5:30 A.M. which isn't too bad.

After they get fed and changed, they go right back to sleep. Mom goes back to bed. The dog goes back to bed, and Dad throws in the towel and makes coffee.

This triplet thing is not easy. I'm not going to lie to you. I have a very hard time with two things.

Balance and Patience.

Balance. Time management becomes very important. First of all, you have your triplets to take care of. Then you have your work to do. Gotta earn a living. Oh, and by the way you are still married. That's right. Your wife is still that hot girl you met that one night not so long ago. Making time for your marriage is difficult. Finally, if you can work it in, you need time for yourself.

That's why there hasn't been much blogging going on.

Patience. This was not a virtue that I was given. With triplets, patience is essential. Perhaps the most important thing. First of all, it starts with being patient with the babies. They don't understand that when they scream it's like finger nails on a chalkboard while listening to Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac, and The Eagles at the same time on three very loud stereos. You have to be patient with your spouse. Hey, this is all new to them too. Things are going to get done at a different pace. I'm not good at this. I want things done now. I want broken things fixed immediately. I want babies to stop crying as soon as they start.

Not going to happen.

So, we are learning. "We" are learning that you shouldn't be outside beating on metal with a hammer while playing Black Label Society at full volume while someone is inside trying to put the boys down for a nap. "We" are also learning that you can't drink five beers and be effective at the 10:00 P.M. feeding.

Balance and Patience.

We will get there. Everything will fall into place. It has already started happening. I look back on the four and a half months since the boys were born, and things have settled into what they are. I'm sure it will continue to be a battle, but it is a battle that we are committed to win.

So, I leave you with Baby Elvis. The boys are dressing up as Elvis for Halloween. All three of them.

Why?

Cause it's Elvis.

That's why.